Terror on Arrival: An Apocalyptic Science Fiction Novel

“Sir, there is something on the RADAR (Radio Detection And Ranging),” a distressed officer cadet said.

“What is it, Cadet?” the flight lieutenant asked.

“It looks... sci-fI, Sir,” the cadet reported.

“What are you harping about?” the flight lieutenant walked up to the cadet, and looked over his shoulder at the screen.

What he saw was what he trained for, although, his training was hypothetical, the hypothetical was brandishing itself on the screen.

“Track whatever that thing is, and report if you see any more.” Just as the flight lieutenant issued the order, twenty more popped on-screen!

“Uh Sir... order confirmed, and I see twenty more of them,” the cadet said.

Flight lieutenant Kalumn was in command of his crew at NORAD (The North American Aerospace Defense Command). They tracked hostile entities in the air, and beyond. It seemed as though they detected a squadron of hostile entities.

Flight lieutenant Kalumn scrambled upstairs, to his annex. He exploded into his office, grabbed the fabled red phone, and called the White House.

The operator answered the ring. “Call code Fluctuation.”

“Response code Static! We have a Mulder Alert! I repeat, a Mulder Alert!” Kalumn yelled into the phone.

“The president is on Air Force One flying to a retreat in Camp David. I will radio him in route, and he will call you back,” the operator said.

“Trust me, I’m not leaving,” Kalumn told the operator.

He decided to call his second lieutenant from the floor. The second lieutenant picked up the phone.

“Yes Sir,” the second lieutenant said.

“Bring me some coffee, Mike. I’m stuck in my office for a bit, and I can’t miss this call from the president,” Kalumn explained.

“Of the United States!?” Mike asked.

“No, of the Sheena Easton Fan Club. Of course it’s the POTUS, idiot! We man NORAD!” Kalumn was cynical.

“I apologize, Sir. Do you still want your coffee black?” Mike asked.

“I didn’t mean to bite off your head, Mike. We’re just knee deep right now, and I’m venting,” Kalumn apologized for himself. “Just bring my usual jet fuel, and we’ll talk about it.”

Lieutenant Mike Despin hung up the phone, and went to the mess hall to pour the coffee. Then he walked upstairs to the flight lieutenant’s office, and knocked on the door.

“Get in here, Mike!” the flight lieutenant yelled through the door.

Mike opened the door, and handed the coffee to the flight lieutenant.

“Now that we’re alone, Rico, where’s the fire?” Mike asked.

“The fire is outside the exosphere, about to knock on our door,” Rico said. “We just discovered a squadron of alien ships primed for attack.”

“Are you sure they are alien?” Mike was skeptical.

“Well, let’s see. The Russian Republic hasn’t been united since ’91, and the North Koreans can’t launch a space worthy probe, let alone a squadron of war ships. That leaves aliens,” Rico said.

Mike felt the gravitas. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to leave it up to the POTUS. This is a ‘leader of the free world’ problem now. All I can do is suggest,” Rico said. “That is why I can’t leave.”

As if on cue, the red phone rang.

The flight lieutenant picked up the phone. “Lieutenant Kalumn.”

“Report,” the President spoke.

“We picked up a squadron of alien war ships on the edge of the exosphere, Mister President,” Rico reported.

“Damn, and I was about to go on vacation. Foreign affair nightmares don’t work by schedule,” the President said.

“That’s the price of being the leader of the free world, Mister President, and it can be expensive,” Rico said.

“You’re assuming they’re attack ships?” the President asked.

“There are twenty one ships in a delta formation, with the leader taking point position,” Rico confirmed.

“That may mean ‘hi fellas’ in alien,” the President said.

“I’ve been a flight lieutenant for many years, Mister President, and a delta formation, generally means attack,” Rico said.

“You don’t know if they ripped a page out of the U.S. Military playbook. They obviously, aren’t from around here. They may be peaceful,” the President said.

“All I know, Mister President, is, don’t offer your chin so they can hit you with a hay-maker.Be ondefense until they pose us no threat. Then offer your hand in friendship. I’ve seen too many science fiction movies to encounter the amiable stranger,” Rico advised.

The President thought about it. “You’re right Kalumn. Get ready to block the blow. If we shirk that duty, we may be too dead for anybody to criticize my actions. Get everyone ready to defend.”

“Affirmative Mister President. I will call for a celestial advance for all members of Service. We will be primed by 0600 hours, tomorrow,” Rico said.

“Make me proud Kalumn,” the President said, and hung up the phone.

Rico hung up his phone. “I was going to watch Spark of Dawn tonight. I guess I’ll ask my wife to record it. We have a task to do tonight, Mike.”

“What did he tell you to do, Rico?” Mike asked.

“I have to call a celestial advance for the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and of course, the Air Force. Brew some more jet fuel, Mike. It’s going to be a long night.”

“What have you done, Cheauflux?” Jayde asked the alien.

“I just dis-facaded my ship, and fabricated twenty more in a delta formation,” Cheauflux said. “I believe a delta formation defines attack in your military.”

“I think you got their attention by faking an attack from aliens. You can pull a rabbit out of a hat,” she said.

“You can call your general now,” Cheauflux said. “Tell him you know of me, because I thought the killer whale was the dominant species of this planet, but you told me otherwise. I believe your president will want to talk to you.”

“You definitely changed my clout, instantly, without much work,” Jayde said.

“I don’t want to insult your race, but humans are easily manipulated like our chealings. You can make them do what you want them to do,” Cheauflux said.

“I guess I should call my general,” she said.

“Ze nazonal communique is in research room 8,” Chalet pointed to a room.

“Thanks Doc. I guess it’s time to put on a show,” she said, as she walked to research room 8. Alexi began to follow her. She stopped him. “Look, I know you’re my bodyguard, but both of us wearing my shirt at the same time stretches it out again, so let me do this one by myself. We’re in a secure location. Pirates can’t get to me.”

Alexi was slightly, offended. She was questioning his duty when she was the one who asked for help!? How dare she! Then he thought maybe doing his duty in a secure location was a bit overzealous. Besides, a woman needed her privacy, although, she had a good bodyguard.

“I understand your dilemma. Go, and do your business alone, but I will be standing outside of the room,” Alexi said.

Jayde fabricated authority. “A commendable decision, Sergeant Doshmononov. Your review will be admirable.”

“I learned another English word today,” Alexi said. “Hilarious, Lieutenant. I will wait outside.”

Jayde silently chuckled, and went into the room.

It took a half an hour to finally get in touch with General Slaydon, but her performance was Academy award winning. The general believed her enough to contact the president, and engineer a conference call. She told the president of Cheauflux, and their detrimental meeting. He agreed they needed to meet immediately, and they needed to hop a transport to Washington, DC. She was fine with that. There was only a two hour time zone difference between both locations. They had to get prepared to put on a show for the president. She said good bye, and walked out of the room.

Alexi looked pensive as Jayde walked out of research room 8.

“Will your president see you?” he asked.

“Be prepared to visit the United States capital, because we’re going to Washington, DC!” she said.